Slayers: Volume 8

By Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi

Boy, we sure left off on a cliffhanger last time, didn’t we? Good thing Chaos Dragon Gaav is dead and... Wait, YOU’RE the one who killed him? Dang, talk about a twist. This is going to mean— Hey, stop it! What are you doing with Gourry?!

Ah, jeez. Looks like I’m headed to the ghost town of Sairaag to get the big lug back. I’ve still got Gaav’s goons on my tail, but they might actually be the least of my worries once I get there. Can the magnificent Lina Inverse stave off the end of the world yet again?! Fingers crossed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: J-Novel Club
• Release date: May 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781718374782

Book preview

1: Hellmaster Makes His Move

A hand as white as porcelain. Was it a woman’s? I wasn’t sure... but that’s what I saw.

Huh? I breathed, momentarily disoriented.

My Ragna Blade had disarmed Chaos Dragon quite literally on his right side. It had also exhausted my magic and left me collapsed helplessly on the ground. It’d been all I could do to glare up at Gaav as he approached, ready to finish me off... But then he suddenly let out a deathly howl.

And now... I could see a slender arm extending out of Chaos Dragon’s stomach.

You... His face was twisted with hatred as he looked back over his shoulder, his voice tinged with a mix of pain and rage. Y-You... When did you...

With those words, I finally understood what had happened. While Gaav was focused on me, someone else had approached him from behind and run him through—barehanded. Obviously, it wasn’t any of us. Chaos Dragon could tank most of our spells completely unscathed. The only one capable of doing something like this was...

I’ve been here the entire time... Though it seems only Xellos noticed, chimed a clear voice from behind Gaav.

It wasn’t a woman. No, it sounded like... a child?! Where had they come from?

It’s been some time, Lina Inverse, said a small head, now poking out from behind the impaled demon.

What...? slipped a groan from my lips.

That familiar face, that black, slightly wavy hair... They belonged to a somewhat girlish-looking boy of eleven or twelve. Indeed, the very same one I’d met in Gyria City. This was the little boy who’d hinted to me about the plans of Gaav’s faction... and who I’d found lifeless after Xellos’s rampage.

I thought you were dead, I said, even as an inkling of his true identity began taking shape in my mind.

Nobody ever actually said that I was. You just assumed so because Xellos told you my heart wasn’t beating. And that wasn’t a lie. After all, how could my heart be beating when I don’t have one? he said teasingly.

Aha... yeah, I guess that wasn’t technically a lie. Xellos was awfully good at obfuscating the truth without outright mendacity.

A ch-child?! Amelia gasped tremblingly, perhaps still not comprehending the situation.

The boy smiled cheerfully back at her and said, "Yes, a child. The appearance of one, at least. I can take any form I like, but this one is rather convenient. Humans are such interesting creatures, so easy to manipulate... You always let your guard down in my presence like this."

And that’s why you never gave me your name... I muttered.

Oh, that’s right. I still haven’t introduced myself, he responded brazenly with a slight bow. I, he said without a shred of humanity in his eyes, am Fibrizo. But you can call me Hellmaster.

Amelia, Zel, and the dragon elder Milgazia all fell silent at this unceremonious introduction.

Gourry had gotten up at some point, and now stood with the Sword of Light in one hand as he looked my way questioningly. Is he a famous person or something? he asked.

Yeah, go figure he didn’t remember me bringing up Fibrizo before... Is it just impossible for you to remember multisyllabic names, dude?

Hellmaster himself didn’t seem too perturbed by Gourry’s antics, however. He simply gave a light shrug and said, Well, I am rather renowned in certain circles... though I’m no person.

That much is clear, Gourry replied, readying the Sword of Light once more—now for Fibrizo instead of Gaav.

So... you and Xellos had me in the palm of your hand all this time, I whispered through my teeth, my jaw clenched.

Fibrizo’s possum act in Gyria City had so fiercely incited me against Chaos Dragon that I’d readily agreed to do whatever Xellos said, even knowing I was being manipulated—even knowing it served Hellmaster, who now smiled at me slightly.

insert1

It’s true that you followed my plans to the letter. Gaav also showed up right on cue. But we can rehash that shortly... There’s something I must take care of first, he said, then glanced back at Chaos Dragon, who was still speared on his arm.

Gaav had been silent and unmoving all this time, yet upon hearing this, he let out an angry howl and twisted around to strike at Hellmaster with his left hand. But...

Shrk! There came a quiet tearing sound, and Chaos Dragon’s left arm went flying instead.

Graaaaaaaagh! Gaav shouted helplessly, falling to his knees in pain.

Don’t even bother, Gaav. You know I was always stronger than you, and you’re stuck in this flawed form now... Surely you know that resisting me is futile. Hellmaster slowly looked down at Gaav, who remained speared on his arm. I was thinking of killing you and purging the human element of your mixed blood... but it seems to be blended together in a most curious fashion. It’s impressively confounding, a testament to Aqualord’s binding abilities. Even killing you wouldn’t allow me to restore you to your old self.

Damn you! Damn you! Gaav seethed, struggling as he glowered at Fibrizo. But the shadow of death already hung over his every word and movement.

You’ll never serve Lord Ruby-Eye again like this... which leaves us only one option.

Damn you!

I must finish you for good, Fibrizo said, and the moment those words left his mouth...

Pop! Chaos Dragon’s body was instantly rendered ash. It was... far too quick a death for the likes of Chaos Dragon Gaav. The white ash, looking almost like snow, danced higher on the wind and up into the sky above.

I see now... I finally understood why Chaos Dragon despised Hellmaster so. His power was just that overwhelming.

I’d only barely managed to scratch Chaos Dragon Gaav with the most desperate, reckless attack I had in my arsenal, and here Fibrizo had taken him out with a flick of his arm. Perhaps unable to comprehend the situation, or maybe out of instinctive fear, the others simply stared on in silence.

All according to plan, huh? I said, my eyes glued on Hellmaster from where I lay otherwise unmoving on the ground.

More or less, Fibrizo replied in a tone exactly like a child bragging to his friends. I sacrificed one of my underlings to pass a certain piece of information to Gaav’s own—that I was plotting something involving Lina Inverse. That got the ball rolling. I then told Xellos, on loan from Greater Beast Zellas Metallium, to hang around and keep tabs on you.

And after cluing me in on Chaos Dragon’s movements and faking your own death... you waited for him to come out of hiding so you could run in with the backstab. Nice work if you can get it.

I suppose. But there’s a piece to the puzzle you’re overlooking... It was I who guided you back to Xellos when you were lost in the Claire Bible’s domain. Xellos is very useful in his way, but it would have taken him far too long to find you in that twisted place. No, no, don’t bother to thank me...

What does all this mean? Gourry asked with a knitted brow, still failing to grasp the situation.

I answered him, my eyes remaining locked on Hellmaster: It means that, all along, I was Hellmaster’s pawn for luring out the traitorous Chaos Dragon Gaav.

That’s part of it, yes, Hellmaster himself replied.

Part of it? I echoed. You’re saying there’s more to it?

Oh, I thought you’d caught on by now... Or are you just feigning ignorance? Either way, my next move should be obvious... Fibrizo turned his eyes from me to Gourry. "Though I didn’t expect to encounter Gorun Nova here. That forces me to choose you."

Choose me? For what? Gourry asked cluelessly.

Bait, Fibrizo said casually, then began sauntering toward him.

Bait?! he exclaimed, backing away with the Sword of Light at the ready.

No need to be so frightened. No one’s really going to gobble you up. Simply come along and—

Out of the blue, Amelia interrupted Hellmaster with an incantation: Ra Tilt!

I didn’t know when she’d started chanting the spell, but it now engulfed Fibrizo in a pillar of azure flame! And yet... when the flames died down, he stood there just the same, completely unfazed.

Huh?!